


It's a magical place with you at my side.

by nightsisterkaris



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Project Looking Glass, Quote: Tahiti is a Magical Place, Tahiti (Agents of SHIELD)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 08:43:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15602622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightsisterkaris/pseuds/nightsisterkaris
Summary: They left for retirement.May hates the idea of losing another love.Coulson is ready to die.The team has other plans.





	1. Truly, its his vacation.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based off my theory on how to save Coulson. I think it's a high possibility of the Riders saving him by having fitz use his framework memories to recreate project Looking Glass. Come on AoS writers, the solution is obvious!

Coulson walked out onto the beach, the turquoise water almost lapping at his feet. Picture perfect palm trees lined his vision, his sunglasses trying desperately to block out the bright, warm sunlinght. "Gotta say. It's pretty magical." He said, scanning the endless horizon tinged with blue.

"Hmmmmm...." May sighed, agreeing, and joined his side, looking at the ocean. "So..." she started sweetly. "Anything else on your bucket list?" She asked, sighing with relaxation.

Coulson smiled at her presence, and looked at her. She was so beautiful, and that she was smiling... It just took his breath away how she... wow. Just wow. "Just one thing." He answered, looking back at her. 

May got the silent message. Her. She was on his bucket list. Smirking, May suggested, "Parasailing?"

"Yeah. Parasailing. Always wanted to try that." He joked along.

They stood in comfortable silence, besides the waves on the beach of course.

Coulson reached out, and took her hand. She intertwined their fingers, and smiled back. This was a moment for them. A new chapter. They watched as the Zephyr took off, leaving them behind. It's shadow streamed over the water, finally passing over them. May leaned on him, still smiling, she rested her head on his shoulder, soaking in the moment. They didn't turn around to watch the Zephyr fly behind them, but looked forward. No turning back.

-:x:-

"So... how long are we going to stand here?" May asked. Her head was on his shoulder, her right arm still on his, and he still held her hand. The plane had long gone, and the two veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stood on the pristine white sand, still staring at their new surroundings. 

"Until... I don't know." He answered, and turned from the view to the woman beside him. He grinned at her, then broke their embrace and ran to the water, and scooped some up. "You wouldn't dare." May threatened, but the small twitch of a smile on the corners of her mouth gave her away. 

"Come on May!" he called to her. 

"Phil, we're both over fifty, not teenagers." Se said matter-of-factly. "Why don't we check out the house?" She suggested, dodging the spray of ocean water he threw at her.

"Killjoy." He muttered, laughing as he returned to her side. "And it's technically a bungalow." He corrected her.

"Whatever." She said, picking up her duffle bag off the ground. Phil grabbed his, brushing off the sand that stuck to the bottom. Walking through the small glade of palm trees, they past the crater that the zephyr had kicked up while landing and taking off. "So, if we are going to parasail, what else can we do?" Phil asked, looking down at the ground, leaving footprints in the sand.

"I wanna massage." May sighed. Then she looked at the place that would be their home for the next... who knew how long. "It looks like a tiki hut." Melinda commented. "Am I supposed to wear a lea and sip drinks from coconut shells?" She asked sarcastically.

"We're in Tahiti. Not Hawaii." Phil joked back. May took off her sunglasses, holding Phil's hand in one hand and her bag slung over her shoulder with the other, the glasses pinched between two fingers. 

Phil unlocked the front door to reveal a charming interior. The decorators had obviously gone for the relaxing colors and designs, all the way from the dyed fibers in the cloth to the woven reed fan blades.

"Wait." Phil stopped her from going a step further. Spinning her back to face him, he dropped his bag and kissed her on the doorstep. May tried not to smile, but that attempt failed. "There. The 'Tiki Hut' has been christened." He told her. 

May let go, almost smiling, and walked in. There was a small living room, kitchen, a wraparound porch, and two hammocks hanging from the ceiling instead of a couch. The place was bathed in natural light. "Daisy has good taste." She said, running a finger over the wall as she entered. She set down her luggage in the armchair in the bedroom and started unpacking. Phil stopped her when she revealed a bag of pill cases. "May." He warned, putting his hand over her's. "What is that?" He asked.

May paused, and admitted, "Simmons said that these are in case anything happens. But you are going to be completely honest with me this vacation. Okay?"

"Melinda. I've accepted my death."

"You said yourself that you were having a hard enough time leaving me behind. And I've made my opinions clear, Phil. So if you feel strained, or tired, or anything remotely like that, you will tell me right away. Promise me."

"May." He started.

"Promise me." She insisted.

"I promise." Phil gave in. 

"Good. Phil... I love you," she still seemed new to the phrase, "and I told you a long time ago that I would take care of you. No matter what."

"I know." He whispered. Nodding, May headed off to the kitchenette to put the meds in the cabinet. Phil pulled back the curtain and had to squint from all the light, which streamed across the room, illuminating it with an intense glow. The sound of the waves echoed throughout the house, no, Tiki Hut, and he could still smell the salt in the air.

The window held the view of the beach, palm trees still framing the scene. The sunlingt danced over the crystal clear water, and a cloudless sky covered it all. Phil smiled. Retirement. Barely an hour in and he alreadly loved it. While his team was off in the Zephyr heading back to cold, empty, dark space to find Fitz, here he was with the love of his life on a tropical island. 

"Phil?" May said from the doorway, "Are you going to unpack?" She asked, and Phil turned his gaze from the horizon to the gorgeous woman behind him.

"Yeah, soon. Do you wanna go down to the beach later?" He asked.

"Sure," she answered.

-:x:-

The tahiti sunsets were stunning. When the sun gradually started down, it covered the beach in a golden hue, turning the sand to the same color. May walked beside Coulson on the beach, drinking in every moment, remembering it, treasuring it. Because truthfully, this was Phil's vacation, not hers. This paradise only lasted as long as Phil did. As soon as he... no. No thoughts on that. Focus on this moment, capture it. Memorize it. Don't let it go. Tomorrow might be different.

"Melinda? You okay?" He asked, stopping and looking at her. May's heart melted. How he looked at her... like Andrew did on their wedding day. Even though that was the only time she ever knew that Andrew had actually looked at her with so much love and affection. But here, Coulson did all the time. He watched her from behind, beside her, or in front of her. Always keeping a loving gaze in her direction.

Snap out of it, Melinda. She thought. "What? Oh, yes, I'm fine." She answered his question.

"I never said it back. Did I?" He asked. "If that's what's bothering you, then I know that I should have. I never thought that you could love me. I mean, you're way out of my league. But I should have told you right then and there. I should have told you years ago. But, you need to know. I love you too. More than you will ever know, Melinda."

"I..." May started, but closed her mouth. And closed the distance between them. They kissed as the sun stained the sky red, the dark of night slowly creeping up. "You don't need to say a thing." Coulson said, breaking it momentarily.

"Phil, just try not to die." She requested.

-:x:-

That night in bed, May was curled up with Phil, asleep. Coulson was awake, thinking. Why was he doing this to May? He knew that he would break her heart if he loved her back or not. When his death came, what would happen to her? Would she go back to The cubicle and do paperwork the rest of her life, a broken person? Would she go on all the suicide missions, hoping the mission was her last, believing she has nothing to lose because the world rips away everything she loves or dreams of from her? Would she pull herself away into solitude, and grow old alone, wishing she had him by her side? Why was life so cruel to her?

"Mel... I love you so much. I treated you terribly for years, leaving you alone, making you do my dirty work, not realizing that you were suffering in silence. Who wasn't there when you left Andrew? Me. Who wasn't there for you when he died? Me. Who wasn't there over and over again, but you always came back."

He paused, realizing more and more. "You stood back while I flirted with Audrey and Rosalind, never saying a word. And I never stopped to think... oh May, how did you bare it? No wonder you and Ward... umm, yeah. God, I should have taken better care of you." He rambled on, twisting a lock of her hair around his finger and untwisting it.

"I've lost all that time, took it for granted, and now..." Phil hadn't noticed that May was awake until he felt the teardrops soak his t-shirt. "May? I'm sorry-" he prepared to apologize when May interrupted.

"You better be sorry. Now go back to sleep." She told him. "You wanted to parasail, remember?"

"You know we were joking, right?" He asked.

"Yes. Now we came here for you-"

"Us." He corrected.

"Us to have a vacation. A retirement. Okay?" She reminded him.

"I know it sounds cheesy, but I don't care as long as it's with you."

"Sweet talker." She smiled, the gentle moonlight illuminating her face. 

"Admit that it works." He said, wrapping his arms around her tighter. May squirmed, and Phil said, "And also I can beat you at sparring two out of five."

"No, and it's one out of five. Plus it took you years to achieve that."

"It works. I could sweet talk anyone! Two out of five." He countered.

"Like the time in Russia when you told the man that you would kill all his she-cats?"

"Hey, Russian is not a strong point of mine."

"Never tell the enemy your vulnerability." She hissed at him.

"You aren't my enemy, you're my girlfriend." He said.

-:x:-

The a few days later, May was reading a book beside Phil, sitting in the hammock.

Phil may have thrown his phone away, but May still had her's. And she was glad she did. An incoming message from Jemma changed everything.

"We got Fitz. And he has a way to save Coulson."


	2. It's gonna be okay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team sets those 'other plans' in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want this to happen
> 
>  
> 
> Like, so bad
> 
>  
> 
> Really, really bad

*Warning, Infinity War spoilers*

-nightsisterkaris

-:x:-

"We got Fitz. And he has a way to save Coulson."

May read the text over and over. How? What? When? They might save him. The team might save Phil. He could be saved. They could have a future, together. They could leave S.H.I.E.L.D. for real, be together, they could visit Tahiti as a vacation, not as a hospice destination. They could grow old together, watch their team settle down, heck, maybe even get married. But would Phil agree?

Phil Coulson, the love of her life, was dying, getting weaker everyday. He had accepted death, sacrificed his only known solution to save Earth, refused any help, and now there was another way. May had tried to save him. She had smashed the Odinium to leave the "save Phil" option, the only option. (At the time)

And here she was, sitting in a hammock beside him while he dozed in the warm sunlight, his arm around her. Her head had been resting on his chest, and if Daisy had seen them, she would have made one of her 'cute couples that have been married for a long time' comments. 

May stared at the text on more time, and gently shook him awake. "Phil." She whispered. No response. "Phil!" She repeated. Still no response. "PHIL!" She said again. "Phillip J. Coulson I swear, don't leave me. Not yet..." she freaked, and checked his wrist.

There was a pulse. May let out the breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "Phil." She said a fourth time, this time in his ear. "Hmmm? What Mel?" He blinked. May guessed that he must have seen her face, because he asked, "did I pass out again?" May nodded. 

"It's so nice here..." he said. "I wish we could stay forever..." he mumbled.

"We can." May blurted out. 

That woke him up. "Come again?"

"I got a message from Simmons." She said. "They got Fitz back, and he has a way to save you." She softly explained.

"What's he gunna do? Stick us into a freezer and wait for a futuristic world were medicine is really advanced? Cause I thought we were gunna let nature take its course."

"If everything was natural, Loki never would have killed you, or come in the first place." She responded. 

"Nor would we be together, Daisy wouldn't exist, and Steve Rogers wouldn't be Captain America." He said.

"No, but we never would have had all our adventures." She reminded him. "So just hear me out, please."

"Then what?" He asked.

"I don't know. Read the message yourself." She told him, handing Phil the phone. 

"I'm glad Fitz is back but-"

Standing up, May interrupted him with a lecture about how she had fought to long for this, how she had made her opinions clear, and told him she smashed the Odinium for a reason. And in that speach, she included a few words that she would never repeat around the team.

"- and I will drag you back unconscious if I have to. Have I made myself clear?!?" She asked. 

"Are you giving me an order?"

"Yes, and I will order you if,- Phil! This is not the time to kiss!" She realized his joke. "That's not funny!" She grabbed her phone. "I'm calling Simmons, right now. They're gonna come get us with the Zephyr." She declared.

"May... " he moaned, and passed out.

"Phil!" She checked his pulse, which was still there. He had just passed out, that's all. "I'll have to drag you back unconscious, huh?" She said, even though he probably couldn't hear her. Then she dialed Jemma.

-:x:-

Daisy came running off the jet. "Thank God you're alive!" She yelled.

"What?" May was utterly confused. 

"Half of Earth's population is gone!" She freaked. "Fitz thinks we were spared because we weren't in the solar system!" She said. 

"We haven't watched any news." May said.

"Well, to update you, mutant sixarmed aliens attacked Wakanda, and these minions of some dude named Thanos came, and then he came for real, got these jewels, and somehow wiped out half the planet with them. People just... turned to dust and blew away. And, Nick Fury died along with Maria Hill." Daisy explained. "At least, that's what I've pieced together."

May was stunned. Then she broke down. "I am DONE!!! Can I ever get a break? A single break?" She whispered. Then processed the news. "Phil and I have hardly left the Tiki Hut except to go to the beach, and we are usually alone." She said, "I got enough food to last a week, so we never left." And May asked, "the Avengers?"

"Only Cap, Thor, and a talking Racoon are the survivors. No word from Stark, or Spider-Man. They went to space." Daisy said sadly. "Oh, and the Wakanda king, black panther, is dead too."

May was silent. The two women stood on the beach, Jemma, Mack, Yo-Yo, and Piper coming down to meet her. Then Fitz came down, a smile plastered on his face. Daisy hugged May, and when she finished, May turned to Fitz. "Try not to die again." She told him.

"You should have seen it when we told him that he married Jemma already." Daisy said, laughing. May laughed with her, and the team stared. "That... is new." Yo-yo said. She approached May, and whispered in her ear, "So, You and Boss." She joked, "we can tell that you like it here." 

"It's magical." May suggested. Melinda shoved aside the insane news, and focused on why the team came. "So, we need to save Phil."

"Yes, and Fitz is already assembling all we need. Where is Coulson?" Jemma said. 

"He's at the house. He calls it the Tiki Hut, but, What are you doing exactly?" May asked.

"Remember when Aida turned herself into a human?" Fitz sheepishly said. "Well, she umm, she uh, used a machine from the darkhold, it was a design, and uh, I built it, and I'm building it again." He said. "It was called project Looking Glass. I'm almost done with it."

"How soon?" May asked.

"Three, four hours work." Fitz predicted.

"So, you want to... you think it will help him?" May asked.

The team nodded.

"Then let's go save Dad." Daisy announced.

-:x:-

"This place is nice." Jemma said. "Did you have to use the meds?" She asked.

"Almost." May sighed, took them out to the living room, where Coulson was still passed out in the hammock. She went over to him, and took his hand. "Phil. Come on wake up, we need to move you to the Zephyr. Phil, come on Honey." She coaxed.

"What? He mumbled. "Oh, um, okay." He pulled himself up, and looked at May, "Stay please." He said. 

"Come on Phil, I'm right here." She told him. May put her arm around him, and Mack joined her on the other side. 

"Come on boss, you can do it." Mack said. Jemma smiled, and Coulson looked at her. "Hi Mrs. FitzSimmons. You brought the kids, Mel." He smiled. 

"Phil, we need to go to the Zephyr." May said.

"I know, I'm awake." He told her.

"Good." May smiled at him.

-:x:-

Coulson passed out again during the flight. He laid on the floor, and May never left his side until Jemma got him and they moved him to the lab. There, Simmons hooked him up to several machines, and assured May that Coulson would be okay for now. Still, May hardly left his side.

Fitz worked hardly during the flight, recreating the monster machine that even gave Aida inhuman powers.

"Would you like to give him and abilities?" Jemma had joked. "Or replace his hand?"

May had refused, shaking her head, and just answered, "make him live."

Jemma had smiled and nodded, turning back to hand Fitz some unpronounceable gadget.

-:x:- 

"It's done." Fitz said. He stepped back, and May looked at the cylinder machine. "This do it?" She asked.

"Yup." He answered. "This needs a lot of power, so we need to land the Zephyr." He said. "And direct all the power to the lab."

"On it." Agent Davis raced off.

May helped them lift Phil into the cylinder shaped machine, where they took his shirt off so that project looking glass could do its job. May stepped up, and kissed him carefully. Coulson stood, defying gravity, while he slept on, the machine holding him upright. "Come out of this alive, please, I really need you." May whispered to him. "Channel your inner Captin America, you're just going to get better, okay?" She smiled at her own joke, knowing that he probably didn't hear her.

The plane lurched as it descended onto a grassy field, and May backed off, letting FitzSimmons power up the machine. The lights blinked off, and the team stared as the glowing cylinders rotated around Coulson. His chest glowed to, a golden light as the dead tissue was replaced with living tissue.

"Come on, come on, come on..." Daisy chanted, and reached out to put a hand on May. Melinda froze at first, but turned momentarily to nod to the inhuman. 

The machine slowed down, and Fitz opened it up. They only had to wait a few seconds of silence before Coulson took a huge breath and opened his eyes. "What happened? What are you doing? What is this?" He asked, and went silent when he saw May. "Melinda!" He said, and May smiled the biggest smile she could, and ran to him. Screw the team watching. Screw the threats on Planet Earth. Screw it all. Phil was alive, okay, and in her arms. "Melinda." He said, and almost fell forward. "Hey! You're alive!" Daisy said, and joined Coulson and May. 

"I told you not to try to save me in the letter..." Coulson said.

"I suspected that you would, so i decided not to read it until I - we, had successfully saved you, or we had failed." She paused, finishing the hug. "You can't get me in trouble, 'cause you never gave up on me." 

"I guess not." He said. "What do you all do to me?" He asked, touching the spot where his scar from Loki used to be. 

"We replaced your necrotic tissue with living tissue." Jemma piped up.

"But-" he started, and May inturupted him.

"They saved you for now, and that's what counts, okay?" She said. "You only had a few more days, and now we can have years. Alright?"

"You said, 'we'." He noticed.

"I did." She nodded. Picking up his shirt, she tossed it to him. Phil caught it, and put it back on. 

"To bad, I kinda liked retirement." He fake complained.

The team all rushed back to him, enveloping him in a big hug. "Me alegro de que hayas vuelto, jefe." Yo-Yo said. 

"I guess im happy to be back too?" He answered.

"We only did this because we love you, okay?" Daisy said.

"I know, but I told you guys that-" but May leveled her face with his, and kissed him. THAT made the team back off quick. "Now, that's supposed to make you shut up, agreed?" She asked.

"Yes ma'me." He whispered back. 

"Did... did they just..." Fitz started. "How much did I really miss!?!?"

"Yes, Fitz they just kissed." Simmons answered. "Ow!" She jumped when Daisy elbowed her. "What was that for?"

"Be quiet and enjoy the moment." She hissed at them.

May and Coulson turned to her, giving them the 'really' look.

"Yeesh. Fine, but, AC, how soon will you take FitzSimmons example, because, come on, seriously, just get married already!"

"Excuse me?" May gave her a threatening glare. 

"Just a suggestion." 

-:x:-

(Two days later)

"Why did you save me?" Coulson asked.

"Because I love you, Phil." May answered.

"Really?" Phil asked. "Because I didn't want to leave you behind. And, I wanted to be with you, and, I..." want a future with you. He finished in his head.

"What? Taking Daisy's suggestion seriously?" May joked.

"Considering that I have died twice, and almost died to many times to count, that's a high possibility." Phil answered.

"Good."


End file.
